Thursday, 26 July 2012

And who is to disagree with the Spanish one? He knows a thing or two about top midfield talent, being one himself. But what does the one with the immaculate hair have to say about his compatriot Santi?

"I cannot talk about the actual situation but I can say that I know him as a player really well.

"And he’s a top, top player. He has got unbelievable quality and talent and that is all I can say."

Wow. That's some write up. And to think we'll bring him in to fight with Theo Walcott (and eventually replace him in the starting line up if he doesn't sign that new contract) and to offer us something different going forward is quite exciting.

The countdown clock is ticking before Malaga have to pay their debts (Tuesday July 31) and you'd think they'd want the £16m we're prepared to pay for the midfielder - who has been left at home for the Spanish club's pre-season tour of Venezuela - sooner rather than later.

But even when (and I believe this transfer is very likely to happen) we do capture Cazorla, it won't stop the manager spending...

Wenger said:

"We bought Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski but we are not at the end of the transfers. We will still bring players in."

Even more excited! It really does appear the manager wants us to be competitive this season and not to start the season in the shambles we were in this time last year.

Meanwhile chairman Peter Hill-Wood has said the club will remain firm in its stance over Robin van P€r$i€'s future and not let him walk away on the cheap.

"If he is determined to leave that is up to him, but giving him away is not on our agenda.

"To be honest I do not understand him at all. I understood Cesc Fabregas wanting to go home to Barcelona last summer. I had sympathy with that.

"But I thought Robin was happy at Arsenal, especially after the season he had with us."

It's good the club are prepared to make a stand with van P€r$i€. All to often in the past we've seen players decide when they'll leave the club. Do we really need the £20m fee or a van P€r$i€ scoring the goals next season? You don't win anything with £20m in the bank.

There is a suggestion that the club could even hold on to van P€r$i€ and sell him in the January transfer window. I would find it hard to believe that he'll still be an Arsenal player come September 1st, but who knows exactly how this one will play out.

One thing we do know is Lukas Podolski is without a shirt number for the coming season. Is that because he's waiting for van P€r$i€ to relinquish the number 10 shirt? I'd put 10p on that. But the odds are very low.

Elsewhere, Nicklas Bendtner has been linked with a move to Celta Vigo according to the Daily Mail.

And finally, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain has been speaking to the media and it's well worth reading his thoughts in the Daily Mail.

That's you're lot for today. More tomorrow... when there is even a game of football to talk about!